It was her idea for him to put on the blindfold and get on his knees.

The black, silky material bunched over the bridge of his nose, limiting his vision as she paced behind him, the only sound in the room that of her stiletto boots as they clicked against the tiled floor. Peeta was shirtless and his pale skin glowed in the dimmed lights as she traced the bulge of his muscles with her leather riding crop, following the contours of his forearms to the hands that rested lightly over his jean clad thighs. Though she could not see his eyes, his head was downcast and the idea that Katniss had this power over him filled her with a momentary fluttering of nervous energy.

Under the spell of her excitement, she grabbed his chin and hissed,"Beg all you want, but your fate is going to end the same way."

She was not prepared for the burst of air from his lips, followed by a throaty laugh that seem to rumble from deep in his stomach, causing him to lose his balance and fall forward. Katniss stood up suddenly and swatted him hard on his shoulder.

"That's not the reaction I was expecting!" she huffed angrily.

"Katniss..no…honey…I'm sorry. It's just…that sounded like something Darth Vader would say," he managed to say between bursts of laughter. He tore off the blindfold to reveal two deep blue eyes twinkling in mirth.

Katniss crossed her arms and stared at him with murderous eyes. "Okay, you know what, fuck it." she stomped off to the bedroom, prepared to take off the black lace corset and garter and throw it at him. She could hear him scramble to his feet and sprint after her, confused apologies falling from his lips. She had almost managed to shut the bedroom door against him when he wedged himself into the open space and slipped inside. Katniss glared at him furiously and was so angry, her bottom lip trembled with the tears she was trying so hard to keep back.

"Hey!" he said as he caught her by the arm and tried pulling her closer to look at him. "Katniss, I'm sorry!" She struggled to get her arm out of his grip but he held firm, which made her more frustrated, forcing a few traitorous tears to escape. "God, I'm such a douche!" he said as he pulled her rigid body into his arms.

"It wasn't intended as a comedy routine." she said as she tried to push him away.

"I know, I know. Fuck!" he ran his hands through his blond curls, his face so pained, she was almost tempted to forgive him on the spot. But her prided demanded satisfaction.

"It was supposed to turn you on, not make you pee your pants, dickhead." she groused. "You don't just laugh at me when I'm trying to be sexy!"

"You're right!" he said, trying to keep her from twisting out of his arms. "Look, I was an ass. I shouldn't have done that. But Katniss, you don't need the whole Dominatrix, or French Maid or Pole Dancer thing to be sexy. It's just not you." He held both sides of her face and peered into her crystal-grey eyes. "You're sexy even when you're just breathing, babe. Don't you know that?"

Katniss' shoulders slumped as he spoke to her. "So you don't like this outfit. Is that what you're saying?"

"No, wait! I love that outfit!" he said emphatically. "But it's only icing on the cake." He ran his hands through her dark hair, his fingers skimming over her firm shoulders and shapely arms. "You're gorgeous without even trying," he gripped her hips and pulled her flush against him. "You're one of those girls who wakes up in the morning looking hot as hell."

Katniss' anger began to cool down. "Crazy hair and no makeup?" she asked quietly, watching his mouth as he spoke.

"You have me at beauty base zero. You don't have to add anything else to be the sexiest woman I've ever met." he said gently as he kissed her jaw, letting his fingers roam under the hooks of her garter. Katniss gasped as his lips captured her earlobe and sucked gently on it.

"That's what I want to hear." he chuckled and at that moment, Katniss' anger fled altogether.

"You're still a douche," she practically moaned.

"I promise, you can spank me later," he responded, humming against her throat.

Katniss eyes lit up. "That sounds like something I might enjoy."